Dhiraj Kandel
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The essentials at a glance
Health insurance for study abroad depends on your country, and Nepali students can plan it early. In Australia you must hold cover for your full visa, while in Canada your province and college decide. This guide covers how the 4 main study countries differ, what plans include, and how travel insurance differs. It also shows what to check before you buy a policy.
Main points from this page
Yes, in most cases you need some health cover, but who sets the rule depends on your country.
Health insurance for students studying abroad works differently in each country. Australia ties it to your visa, Canada leaves it to each province and your college, and a UK visa has its own health payment. So as a Nepali student, a plan that is fine for 1 country may not be accepted in another.
Start with your country guide, either study in Canada from Nepal or study in Australia from Nepal. Then keep your insurance papers with your other files. Our study abroad document resources can help you sort them.
Each of the 4 main study countries has its own system, so check your own country’s row first.
| Country | Main arrangement | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Province, territory, college or private plan | Public cover, waiting period and your college’s plan |
| Australia | Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), a visa condition | Start date, cover for your full stay and family members |
| UK | Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) with your visa. See the study in the UK process | IHS payment and NHS charges that remain |
| USA | Usually your university’s own rules. See the study in the USA process | Automatic enrolment, waiver rules and provider network |
Nepali students apply to all 4, so use this table as a start. Then confirm the rule with your college and the government page for your country. Your visa, college and insurer can each set a different condition, so check all 3.
It depends on the province or territory where you study, so ask your college when you apply.
EduCanada says some provinces and territories give international students free cover, sometimes after you have lived there for a while. Where there is no free cover, your college will ask you to buy private insurance. In Ontario, all international students must have coverage from the University Health Insurance Plan.
Provincial cover leaves out dentists, chiropractors and physio, so you may pay for those 3 yourself. A student from Nepal should plan for this. Our guide to health insurance in Canada covers this in detail, and costs are in CAD, so our CAD to Rs forex converter can help you plan. Also read the Canada student visa requirements.
OSHC is the health cover you must keep for the full length of your Australian student visa.
The Australian government’s private health site says OSHC helps with medical and hospital care. It also includes ambulance cover and limited medicines. Dental, optical and physiotherapy usually need separate extras, so read your policy.
Holding OSHC is a visa condition, so never let it lapse. If you fall behind on payments, you can continue your cover, but you may not be able to claim for care you got during that time. Home Affairs explains the wider rule on adequate health insurance.
Before you buy, read our OSHC Australia guide and the Australia student visa requirements. Both pages show how it fits into your 2 main steps from Nepal: your enrolment and your visa.
The IHS is a payment made with an eligible UK visa application, and it gives you access to NHS services.
GOV.UK’s guidance says that if you have to pay it, you must pay even if you already hold private insurance. The student rate is £776 per year of your visa.
For a Nepali student, the IHS is not a private insurance policy. Prescriptions, dental treatment and eye care may still cost money. Travel or private insurance can still help with things outside the NHS, such as travel problems.
Health insurance is not a standard F-1 visa interview document, but universities often set their own rules.
EducationUSA’s guidance tells students to confirm health insurance with their institution before they travel. Your university may enrol you automatically, make you buy its plan, or allow a waiver if another plan meets its conditions.
If you go from Nepal, watch the cover dates, doctors’ network and waiver deadline. A late waiver can mean an extra charge. Read this along with the F-1 visa process and our health insurance in the USA guide, as those 2 pages go further.
No: travel insurance covers your journey and short emergencies, while student health insurance covers medical care during your studies.
| Type of cover | Main purpose | Common limit |
|---|---|---|
| Student health insurance | Medical care during study | May not cover travel problems or your return home |
| Travel insurance | Cancellations, baggage, delays and short emergencies | May not meet visa or college rules |
| Emergency medical cover | Urgent treatment after sudden illness or injury | Often leaves out routine care |
| Evacuation or return cover | Transport to care or back home | Usually only when approved and medically needed |
Government travel insurance guidance also says to check medical evacuation, existing condition rules and emergency help. Benefits differ from one policy to the next, so read yours before you leave Nepal. EduCanada says travel health cover suits short stays of less than 1 year, such as a language course.
It can help with your journey, but it may not meet your country’s visa or college rule, so get written confirmation first.
A Nepal policy may be useful for baggage, cancellations, short emergencies or the days before your main plan starts. This kind of health insurance for overseas travel is not a replacement for OSHC or a required college plan.
If you want to rely on it, ask your college or the visa office to confirm in writing that it is accepted. Keep that email with your policy. This 1 step can save you from paying for 2 plans later.
The premium is only the starting price, so also check your excess, copayment, limits and exclusions.
| Term | Simple meaning |
|---|---|
| Premium | What you pay to keep the policy active |
| Deductible or excess | What you pay before the insurer pays |
| Copayment | A fixed amount you pay for a covered service |
| Benefit limit | The most the policy will pay |
| Waiting period | The time before a benefit starts |
| Exclusion | Something the policy does not cover |
| In-network provider | A doctor or hospital approved by the plan |
| Reimbursement | You pay first and claim the money back later |
| Pre-existing condition | A health problem you had before the policy started |
These 9 words appear in most policies you will see from Nepal. The CMS health insurance terms guide explains them further. It is a US page, but the words are used widely.
Check that it meets your visa and college rules, covers your full dates, and works near your campus.
Insurance is different from the health checks you do in Nepal. If your visa also needs one, read our guides to medical exams and TB tests and vaccination requirements for study abroad.
Ask how your policy treats existing conditions before you buy, and answer every health question truthfully.
Ask if ongoing visits, tests and medicines are covered, and if a waiting period or limit applies. Some health problems are covered only after a set time, and some are not covered at all.
Before you leave Nepal, carry your 3 main records: prescriptions, doctor’s reports and a list of your medicines. EduCanada also says to ask your doctor for a copy of your records before you go. Our counselors in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara don’t sell insurance. They can still tell you which papers to check, so talk to a Goreto counselor.
In most cases you need some cover. Australia makes it a visa condition, Canada depends on your province and college, and a UK visa has its own health payment.
No. Travel insurance mainly covers your journey, baggage and short emergencies. Student health insurance is for medical care during your studies.
A plan may cover doctor visits, hospital care, emergencies, tests, ambulances and some medicines. Dental, optical and existing conditions may be limited or left out.
It depends on the province or territory. Some give free cover, sometimes after a period of living there, and others expect a private or college plan.
Yes, for most student visa holders. Keep it for the full length of your visa, because it is a visa condition.
It is not a standard visa interview document, but universities often set their own rules. These can include automatic enrolment, a required plan or a waiver.
It is a payment made with an eligible UK visa application that gives you access to NHS services. It is not a private insurance policy.
It may help with travel and short emergencies, but it may not meet visa or college rules. Get written confirmation before you rely on it.
Carry your prescriptions, doctor’s reports, a list of your medicines and your insurance card. Keep digital copies as well as printed ones.
Reference links
Important guidance note
This page provides general guidance about studying abroad. Requirements, fees and policies can change. For advice about your situation, speak with a Goreto counselor before applying.
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